


A Child's Loss

by DisguisedasInnocent



Series: Ways to Say 'I love you' [10]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 20:22:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4934017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisguisedasInnocent/pseuds/DisguisedasInnocent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The words 'I love you' can be found in the phrase 'I'm sorry for your loss'. The Ark People have kept a handful of the traditions of the Old World in place, and one of these traditions is the celebration of Father's Day. In the case of Clarke Griffin this is a sore subject, and one that Lexa tries to understand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Child's Loss

"The Skaikru celebrate tonight," Indra remarked with a slight lift of her eyebrow. "They are confident in their fences." 

"Sha," Lexa agreed, her head dipping forward into a shallow nod, and her hands smoothed across the delicate folds of the region's map. "With reason Indra, they have come a long way since they fell from the sky." 

"Perhaps," Indra allowed as she turned her eyes away from the numerous fires flickering within the fences of Camp Jaha. "I find it interesting that Klark kom Skaikru is not amongst her people for this celebration." 

"She is not?" Lexa queried lifting her eyebrows in surprise.

"No Heda." Indra said. "She has remained within our camp this night, though, she retreated to her tent many hours ago."

Lexa narrowed her eyes at her General before folding the map up into her hands. "I find it displeasing that you've been noting Klark's movements. She is our ally, and a leader of her people, I have said that she should be able to move freely amongst our camp."

"She does." Indra replied dropping her eyes from Lexa's face in submission. "But, the Skaikru are young, and irrational. I believed it best for Heda's protection that Klark's movements were at least noted by our guards."

"And have you noted anything out of character Indra?" Lexa asked harshly. The Commander's lips shifted into a frown as she let one hand drop to curl around the hilt of her sword whilst the other gripped the map tightly. "Or, has Klark merely interacted with her people, our healers, and me?"

Indra clenched her jaw before slowly letting out a long huffed sigh. "It is as you have said Heda." She said, her tone apologetic, but firm. 

"Klark is not to be spied upon as if she is an enemy." Lexa ordered. "And, Indra, you are fortunate that you chose to disobey me with Klark. Many other leaders would not take kindly to your actions in this. Klark is both forgiving and ill-prepared in the face of leadership difficulties. I doubt that the Chancellor of the Sky People nor their Guard Captain would have let it go without a question." 

"Sha Heda." Indra acquiesced with a small bow. "I will inform Ryder and Charl that they need not follow Klark kom Skaikru from now on." 

"Good." Lexa murmured in agreement. "If there are no more matters on the rebuilding of Tondc, I wish to speak to Klark directly." 

Indra shook her head before turning on her heel and striding out of Lexa's tent. The Commander waited until the folds of canvas settled into place in Indra's wake before shrugging her jacket from her shoulders and placing it on the arm of her throne. Then, with the map clasped in her hand, the dark haired woman strode out of her tent and down the short row of canvas huts and tents to the small tent on the end of the row gifted to the Sky People, and Clarke. 

"Klark," Lexa said, tapping her knuckles against one of the lengths of wood across the doorway that acted as a support for the structure of the tent. "Can I enter?"

"Sure," Clarke's voice drifted out of the tent. "Come in."

Lexa dipped her head under the wooden plank across the entryway, holding the folds of canvas apart with the back of her arm as she stepped through into the interior of Clarke's tent. The woman's dark green eyes scanned across Clarke's personal space, the familiar wooden desk tucked into the corner of the moderate space, and the fur skin covered bed. "I see you've put my desk to good use." Lexa remarked with a soft smile waving her hands at the multiple sheets of paper spread across the wooden surface. "I did not realise you are an artist." 

"Part time," Clarke joked with a small smile twitching at the corners of her lips. "Art isn't exactly something that I could do as a profession on the Ark."

"We are not on the Ark." Lexa said. "In Polis, we have artists, perhaps it is a life that you can take up now." 

"Perhaps eventually." Clarke said, her voice soft and quiet. "My People need me as a Doctor, and a Leader, at the moment." 

"Indra noted that there is a celebration at the Skaikru camp tonight," Lexa commented, her eyes focused on Clarke's face, watching the flickers of emotion pass across the woman's cheeks. Sadness clung to the sheen of Clarke's eyes and loss in the clench of her jaw. "Why are you not with your people Klark?"

"Today is a holiday my people call Father's Day." Clarke answered sadly. "A celebration of one's father. I... I did not feel it would be appropriate for me to join my people today."

"Do you not have a father Klark?" Lexa queried one of her eyebrows raised questioningly.

"I had one." Clarke murmured. "He's dead." 

"Oh," Lexa swallowed. Her eyes darted away from Clarke's face to look at the ground uncomfortably before she lifted her gaze to meet Clarke's eyes again. "I am sorry for your loss." 

"Thanks Lexa." Clarke said. "Don't worry, you didn't know about it." 

"Might I ask about him?" Lexa asked quietly, stepping forward until she stood at Clarke's side. "If you still mourn his loss he must have been a good man." 

"The best I've ever known." Clarke agreed with a slight dip of her head. "He... He found out the Ark was dying before any one else. He wanted to tell the Council, to expose it to the people, so we could work out a way to survive. The Council... The Council didn't want that. My Mother didn't want that."

Lexa's eyebrows furrowed in surprise as she listened to the words stream out of Clarke's mouth. "What happened Clarke?"

"The Council arrested my father for crimes against the Ark." Clarke muttered with a sad laugh. "And then they arrested me for conspiracy. I'd found out what my father was doing and wanted to help him. They sentenced him to be floated, our version of an execution, and I was made to watch."

"You..." Lexa swallowed hard, forcing the lump in her throat down in an effort to control the tremble that threatened to overtake her voice. "He sounds like a good man." 

"He was." Clarke said softly reaching out to curl her fingers around Lexa's wrist tugging the older woman forward until she could press her forehead against Lexa's stomach. Clarke let the tears drip from her eyes as she pressed her face against Lexa's comforting warmth. Lexa dropped the map in her hand onto Clarke's desk before wrapping her arms around Clarke's shoulders. Her fingertips ran though soft blonde locks slowly, soothing the harsh sobs that rose from Clarke's mouth with the soft scrap of her fingernails and gentle words from her lips.


End file.
